Brothers by Design
by JasonMorganfan87
Summary: Takes place during the Crossover episode 'Legend' What if Tim knew one of the OSP agents when they arrived to work the joint case. How will he react when he sees an old friend. Will it bring back memories both agents worked hard to forget? And how will their respective teams react when they learn the past they share?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, or any of their characters.**

**Brothers by Design**

Tim stood outside the OSP unit of NCIS with Gibbs, who was on the phone with Tony. After getting a debriefing on the case they were working, Gibbs had gone outside to get an update from Tony and Ziva. Tim had naturally followed him.

Gibbs wrapped up the call with Tony and hung up. He then grabbed the magazine McGee had tried to use for conversation on the plan from his hands. "You done with that?"

"Yeah, I'm done," Tim said uncomfortably before going to get in the car with Gibbs.

"No, stay. Keep them company. I'm visiting a friend," Gibbs said before getting into the car and taking off.

Tim stood there for a minute before going inside. He took the elevator up to the Operations Center and walked inside. He walked down the stairs and saw that a couple of other people had joined the others, including a tall, buff African American agent with his back to him.

Tim just hung back. He wasn't sure what he should do. He knew Gibbs expected him to help, but this wasn't his office or team. He felt like he might be intruding if he tried to do anything.

The agent with his back to Tim turned around, shocking Tim in the process. He knew him. The man was older and more buff than he remembered, but he would know the man anywhere.

_Flashback_

_Eight-year-old Timothy McGee was running. He had been running since he left his school located on the Navy base. Unfortunately, it was not the first time he found himself in such a position. This happened every day at around this time. Tim was the kid everyone liked to pick on. He was smart and liked things like science and computers. It was the kind of thing that got him picked on and bulled. Much like he was being now._

_Tim felt himself being shoved to the ground and his arm being twisted behind his back. "No! Get off."_

"_Shut up, you little dweeb," one of his tormentors said laughing. _

"_Come on, let's give him a weggie," one of the others said._

"_I saw we just beat the hell out of him. That oughta teach him not to show us up," another said._

_Tim closed his eyes tightly and prayed that whatever they did, it would be over soon. After a minute, he felt the pressure on his arm and back disappear. He opened his eyes and turned around to see one of his father's men holding the boy who was on top of him by the scruff of the neck. _

"_Let go of me, man," the kid said as he tried to squirm out of his grasp._

_The man held him firmly and with little difficulty. "You think it's funny torturing those younger than you? You think that makes you a man?"_

"_Lay off, Dude! McGee's a freak. Everyone knows that. He had it coming!" The boy yelled. _

"_Yeah? How would you like it if I smacked you around? Going after someone younger than you is an act of a coward. If I catch you messing with this kid again, I'll give you what you deserved," the man said before finally releasing him. "That goes for the rest of you too."_

_They all scurried away as fast as they could._

_Tim's rescuer reached his hand out to him. "You okay, little man."_

_Tim took his hand and allowed him to help him up. "Yeah, thanks."_

"_No problem. I ain't got no patients for bullies. You're Captain McGee's kid, right?" _

_Tim nodded. _

"_You tell your old man about those punks," he asked. _

"_He wouldn't care. He'd just say it's my fault for being weird," Tim said sadly. He knew his father real well. His dad would blame him for getting bullied. _

"_Well, he's wrong. No one deserves to be treated like that. What's your name, kid?" the man asked._

"_Tim. My name's Tim," he said. _

"_Hi, Tim. I'm Sam."_

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Tim was finally brought back to reality by Sam's voice. "Hey. You're from Headquarters, right?"

"Y…yeah," Tim managed to say.

"Yeah, Sam, this is Agent McGee," Kensi said.

Sam blinked. That was a name he hadn't heard in nearly twenty years. Of course he remembered the kid. That was a time in his life he wouldn't soon forget, even though he wished with every passing day that he could. Not because of the kid of course, but because the horrors that they'd both seen and felt.

Sam wondered briefly what to say. Should he tell Tim that he remembered him? What if forgetting was a comfort Tim had managed to gain. He had been a child at the time. Children had a way of protecting their minds from severe trauma. This definitely qualified.

"Nice to meet you," Tim finally said. He figured he'd play dumb and see if the kid did mentioned knowing him.

Tim couldn't believe it. Sam didn't remember him. He couldn't help but be hurt by that fact. Sam had been his lifeline back in the day. He was literally the only reason Tim was still breathing. He'd meant a lot to him. Then again, he supposed Sam might not want to remember him or the crap they went though. Tim sure wished he could forget. "You too."

Sam felt relief rush over him. The kid didn't seem to remember him. That was a good thing. It meant that his life had gone relatively back to normal at some point. "So you been filled in?"

"Uh, yeah, for the most part," Tim said.

"Okay, let's get back to it then," Sam said before he went over to the touch screen and began updating them on the new information.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam found himself walking down the beach. He always came to the beach when he needed to clear his head, and he certainly needed to clear his head today. It had thrown him for a loop seeing Tim again. He hadn't seen him close to twenty years and the kid had been much different then. Then again, he was still dealing with something awful back then.

Sam remembered the last time he saw Tim very clearly. It was about two and a half years after they met and six months since _it_ happened.

_Flashback_

_Sam sat down next to Tim on the boy's front lawn on base. "Hey, man."_

_As expected, Tim didn't speak. He hadn't spoken since… Well, he just didn't speak anymore. Not that that mattered to Sam. Sam didn't need him to speak to know what he needed._

"_So I gotta tell you something. I'm being deployed," Sam said._

_Tim looked up and had a look of fear and horror on his face._

"_I know, kid. I don't like it either, but I don't have a choice. I'm sorry, Tim," Sam said._

_Tim turned his head to the front porch where his father was standing and then looked back at Sam questioningly._

_Sam understood the question immediately and nodded. Tim's father had been the one to orchestrate his departure, much to Sam's fury. The man didn't seem to care that Sam was the only person Tim even responded to these days or that he depended on him. According to Captain McGee, Tim's attachment to Sam was 'unnatural'. The man seemed to believe that Sam was hindering Tim's recovery. He actually said that Sam coddled him too much and that with him gone, the boy would bounce back just fine. Like that was even possible. You couldn't go through what they had and then go back to life like none of it ever happened. _

_Tim began to cry and tremble in fear. _

_Sam pulled the boy close. "It's alright, little man. Everything will be alright."_

_Flashback_

Sam growled just thinking about that memory. He hated Tim's father so much for forcing him to do that. If he hadn't been a superior officer and if doing it wouldn't have landed him in the brig, he would've seriously beaten the crap out of him. The then captain had caused his son more pain than he'd already had to deal with, which was saying a lot. Sam had never hated anybody more than he hated him.

Sam took a deep breath. He wondered when the turnaround had come for Tim. Did he just block it out one day? And how long would it stay hidden within his mind? When he first saw him, he briefly thought maybe it never would, but he knew better than that. Eventually it would come to the surface and crush him. Sam vowed that he would be there when that happened. He wouldn't be the one to take the delusion away from him, but he would be around to pick up the pieces when it all came out. It was the least he could do. What he and Tim had been though was the kind of thing that bonded you for life. After what had happened, they'd become as close to brothers as two people could get. And Sam would never willingly abandon a brother.

Sam was pulled from his thoughts when he felt a presence from behind him. He turned to see his partner, G Callen. "How'd you find me?"

"I followed you," Callen lied. Truthfully, he didn't have to follow him. He knew Sam like the back of his hand. He knew where he went to catch a breather.

Sam scoffed. "No, you didn't. I would've known if you'd followed me," Sam said before walking down the beach once more.

Callen easily followed him. "You alright, Sam?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Sam asked.

"Answering a question with a question. First sign of deflection. Come on, you've been distracted all day," Callen said.

Sam turned and gave him a look. "You've been gone half the day. How would you know how I've been?"

Callen smirked. "I'm your partner. It's my job to know. And Kensi might have mentioned something."

Sam snorted and continued to walk.

"What's going on, Sam?" Callen asked.

Sam finally stopped and turned to his partner. "I can't. Don't ask me to talk to you about this because I can't."

"Why not? We're partners. You know you can trust me," Callen said. He couldn't believe there was actually something Sam felt he couldn't tell him. They'd been partners for years. They knew almost everything about each other. Why was Sam holding back now?

"It's not about trust, G. Yeah, I know I could tell you and you'd keep it to yourself, but I won't go there with you or anyone else. I vowed a long time ago that this was one thing I would never discuss with anyone else. Not you, not my wife, nobody. There's only one person alive who knows the full extent of what happened and he's the only one that will ever know," Sam said. It was true. He'd never told a sole what happened to him and Tim way back when. Yes, a lot of it was reported to the proper authorities, but no one really knew the details because Sam refused to divulge them and Tim physically couldn't at the time. Tim was the only person Sam would ever discuss this with.

"It's that bad?" Callen asked.

"It's worse. But you know, it's been over for a long time. Look, just drop it, okay? I'm not going to talk to you about this," Sam said firmly. He talked to G about almost everything, but not this, not ever.

"It's obviously not over. Whatever it is, it's affecting you now," Callen said. He got the feeling that whatever happened, happened a while ago, but for some reason it was affecting his partner now. He just wanted to know what had triggered it so that he could help.

"It's not me I'm worried about," Sam said before walking away.


	3. Chapter 3

Gibbs stared at McGee intently as he worked with OSP's computer tech. Something had been up with him since they got there. Gibbs noticed immediately when he returned from talking to Callen. The younger agent was just so much more on edge.

Gibbs waited for the other tech, Eric, to leave before going over and tapping Tim on the shoulder.

Tim involuntarily flinched from the surprising touch. When he turned and saw Gibbs, he mentally cursed himself. It had been a long while since he flinched away from someone. Oh, there were plenty of times he'd wanted to, but he was usually able to quash the instinct that had been ingrained into him since he was a child. Being back with Sam though triggered the memories, which triggered old habits. "Sorry, Boss. You startled me."

Gibbs eyed Tim suspiciously. "He had no doubt that he did startle him, but he very much doubted that was what caused such a reaction from. Something else was going on here. "Everything okay, McGee?"

"Yeah, fine," Tim lied effectively. When he was a boy, he'd been asked that question so many times that he'd lost track. And he'd learned that no one wanted the truth. They didn't want to know how he really was. They didn't want to hear that he was haunted by the memories of what happened to him. They wanted him to say he was okay so that they could feel better. So he gave them what they wanted. At least then they'd leave him alone.

Gibbs looked at him skeptically for a minute. He had a hard time believing that, but he didn't know enough about what was really going on to confront McGee, so in the end he just nodded acceptance and walked away.

Gibbs walked over to Callen who was standing next to Macy. "Got a minute?"

Macy raised an eyebrow, wondering why Gibbs would need to talk to her agent without her.

"It's not case related," Gibbs assured her.

Macy seemed to accept that and walked away.

"What's up?" Callen asked.

"I have no idea, but I get the feeling it has to do with your team," Gibbs said. McGee didn't start acting weird until they got to LA and started working with OSP. The only thing Gibbs could figure was that there was some kind of problem with one or more of the other agents. And if that was the case, he was going to put a stop to it right now.

"What do you mean?" Callen asked in confusion.

"My agent has been acting strangely since we got here. Now since he was practically giddy at the prospect of coming here, I can only gather that your team itself is the problem.

"No one on my team would give your agent a hard time if that's what you're implying," Callen said.

"I'm not implying anything, Callen. I just wanna know what the hell is going on?" Gibbs said.

Callen looked over at Sam who was huddled with Kensi and Macy. He wondered if this might have anything to do with whatever Sam was keeping from him. "You know, Sam's been acting pretty weird too."

"So he's the one then," Gibbs said. Agent Hanna had to be the reason Tim was acting so weird. Something was going on between the two. What, he didn't know, but it couldn't be good.

"Sam would never give any agent a hard time for any reason other than to sharpen them up," Callen said firmly. He would not stand for anyone insinuating that Sam was anything close to a bully, not even Gibbs.

"Well, something's going on. I don't believe in coincidences," Gibbs said.

"Neither do I," Callen said.

"Well? You gonna ask him about it?" Gibbs asked.

"I've already tried. Sam won't talk to me about this, and I'm not going to push," Callen said. While he wished his partner would confide in him about whatever happened to him, he respected Sam's privacy enough to leave well enough alone.

"That's where you and I differ, Callen," Gibbs said.

"Meaning?" Callen asked. He really didn't like the sound of that.

"Meaning I'm going to find out what's going on with my agent one way or another," Gibbs said before heading up the stairs.

Callen immediately followed his friend out of Ops. and into the elevator. "Gibbs, wait! Look, whatever this is, it's bad enough that Sam won't talk to me about it. And it has to be majorly bad for that." Sam talked to him about just about everything. He was the only who Sam trusted enough to tell him practically his whole life story. But he wouldn't tell him about this. That told Callen that it was something he didn't really wanna know about.

"All the more reason for me to find out what it is," Gibbs said. If it really was that bad, he needed to know so that he could help McGee.

"You're concerned for your agent, I get that. I'm concerned for Sam too, but if you open this can of worms, you may not be able to close it back up again," Callen said seriously.

"I get the feeling that ship has already sailed," Gibbs said as the elevator stopped. He then got out of the elevator.

"You're making a mistake, Gibbs! If Sam's reaction to being asked about it is any indication, your agent will not thank you for this!" Callen called after him.

Gibbs ignored him and kept walking.

Callen sighed and leaned back against the wall of the elevator. This was not going to end well. He couldn't speak about McGee for sure, but he did know Sam did not take well to his privacy being invaded. He was not going to take too well to whatever Gibbs had planned.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Gibbs leaned against his car and dialed a familiar number. A few seconds later, Abby's cheerful voice filled his ear.

"_Gibbs! How's LA? How's Timmy?" Abby asked. _

"Everything's fine, Abs. Look, I need you to do me a favor," Gibbs said.

"_Of course! What can I do for you, almighty Gibbs?" _Abby asked.

I need you to cross-reference McGee's name with Special Agent Sam Hanna," Gibbs said. He wasn't sure what was going on, but if it was as bad as Callen seemed to think, it was probably a matter of public record.

"_Why? Is something wrong with Timmy? What's going on?" _Abby asked in concern.

"That's what I need you to find out," Gibbs said before hanging up.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony walked into the Lab and found Abby hard at work at her computer. "Hey, Abs.""

Abby turned to see Tony. "Hey. Things okay between you and Ziva yet?"

Tony cringed. Ziva had been hiding things lately and he'd recently discovered that she knew someone involved in what Gibbs and McGee were working on in LA. Needless to say, things were a little strained with Ziva right now. "Let's not talk about it. What're you working on?"

"Oh, Gibbs called and asked me to look into something with Timmy. I've been working on it all night," Abby said.

Tony grinned like a little boy on Christmas. "McGeek has a secret? Let me guess, his IQ is a point lower than he claims. Oh, that would just devastate him."

"I'm not sure what it is. Gibbs asked me to cross-reference Timmy's name with another agent's. It took me a while, but I managed to find a connection. When I did though, I came to a link to an NCIS case, but it was sealed," Abby said.

Tony frowned. That was weird. The only time cases were sealed like that was when the perpetrator was a minor. Well, that or someone went out of their way to have it sealed. "Let me see. The authorization of a field agent should be able to unseal it.

Tony typed something into the computer and then grinned when it worked. "Ha! Now that's how you get something done. Alright let's see what we have here." His smile faded almost immediately when he began reading. "Oh my God."

Abby's face had blanched when she saw what Tony was looking at and she looked quite stricken. "No. This can't be right. Stuff like this doesn't happen, not to McGee."

Tony had to agree with her. If it weren't staring him right in the face, he'd swear it wasn't real. This was the kind of thing that destroyed people. But McGee always seemed so normal and well-adjusted. Or was that just an illusion? Was the guy who couldn't seem to lie actually the biggest lie of all?

"He was just a kid. How can somebody do that?" Abby cried. It wasn't fair. Timmy had never done anything to anybody. How could somebody hurt him like this when he was just a little boy?

"Call, Gibbs, Abby. He needs to know about this."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Gibbs walked outside to get some air. There was nothing he could really do for the case right now and he needed a breather.

Just then, phone began to ring. He immediately took it out and answered it. "Yeah, Gibbs."

"_Gibbs, it's me,"_ Abby said in a sad, hollow voice.

"What do you got for me, Abs?" Gibbs asked.

He knew she had something. The tone of her voice told him that.

"I…it's bad," Abby said.

"Yeah, I already figured that much," Gibbs said. He didn't need Abby to tell him it was bad. He'd got that much from what he'd seen with McGee and what Callen had told him.

"_No, it's really, really bad,"_ Abby emphasized.

"Just tell me, Abby," Gibbs said impatiently.

"_It was about twenty years ago. Agent Hanna was a petty officer in the Navy. His commanding officer was Timmy's father." _

"Go on," Gibbs said as he braced himself for what he knew would be hard to hear.

"_One day, three other navy officers attempted to kidnap Timmy from the base. They lured him just outside the naval base and grabbed him. Unfortunately for them, Petty Officer Hanna intercepted them. They overpowered him though and took both him and Timmy hostage,"_ Abby explained.

Gibbs sucked in a breath. He knew there was more to hear and that it would probably get worse before it got better. "How long?"

"_Over a month,"_ she said.

Gibbs sighed. That couldn't be good. A month in captivity would be difficult for anyone, let alone a child. "How bad was it?"

"_Bad, Gibbs. Really, really bad. He had second and third degree burns over half his body and he was covered in lacerations from head to toe. The investigating agent noted that he was in worse condition than a lot of POW's," _Abby said crying.

Gibbs shuddered at the thought. He'd seen what POW's were like after they escaped from their prisons. The idea of those kinds of things happening to any child, let alone one that became his agent, was unthinkable to him. How could he survive that? How could he be alive and not be seriously damaged?

Well, Gibbs now understood why Tim was acted so shaky all of a sudden. Being around Agent Hanna again must have brought back the memories. It definitely explained why he flinched when Gibbs tried to touch him.

A horrible thought suddenly occurred to Gibbs. McGee having a problem being touched probably didn't manifest today. He probably just hid it better before. There was no way someone could go through what McGee had and not have at least somewhat of a problem being touched. And Gibbs touched his agents in a way that could cause problems for someone who had been through what McGee had. He smacked them. He didn't do it to McGee as much as DiNozzo, but he still did it. He had to wonder if he did any psychological damage to his agent when he did.

"_Are you still there, Gibbs?" _Abby asked, pulling Gibbs from his thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm here, Abs. Listen, you don't tell anybody about this, got it?" Gibbs asked. He was not going to let what happened to Tim become public knowledge around NCIS. He could at least keep this a secret for his agent.

"_Erm, I already told Tony. He's the reason I was able to get the file open," _Abby said.

Gibbs sighed unhappily. "Is he there with you?"

"_Yeah."_

"Put him on," Gibbs ordered.

There was a shuffle with the phone before Tony's voice filled the line. _"Hey, Boss."_

"DiNozzo, what you have learned today goes no further than the three of us. You won't tell a single soul, got it? And you will never,_ ever_ use this to hurt him," Gibbs said firmly. He didn't really feel he had to add that last part, but just in case, he wanted to be clear.

"_No, Boss, I wouldn't," _Tony promised.

"Good," Gibbs said before hanging up. He then took a deep breath and began walking back inside. It was time for him to have a talk with his youngest agent.


	5. Chapter 5

Gibbs made his way back into the Ops. Center and over to McGee who was still working with Eric. "McGee."

Tim turned around immediately. "Oh, hey, Boss. Nothing new yet."

"We need to talk. With me," Gibbs ordered before walking away without checking to see if his agent was following. He went over to Macy who was talking with Kensi. "Hey. There a place I can talk with my agent privately?"

Macy looked at him for a minute before taking out a small keychain with a key and handing it to Gibbs. You can use my office. It's the third door down the hall to your left. Just lock it back up afterwards.

Gibbs nodded and then led the way out of Ops. He followed Macy's directions down the hall and unlocked the door she told him to. He held the door open and waited for McGee to step inside before going in himself and closing the door behind him.

"Is everything okay, Boss?" Tim asked. He couldn't help but be nervous. Nothing good ever came from Gibbs wanting to talk to him alone.

"I…I don't say this to you," Gibbs said. He really didn't. How did he tell his agent that he knew what happened to him? He had to tell him though. If there was any chance of him helping him, he had to tell him that he knew.

"Boss, you're starting to scare me," Tim said. He'd never seen his boss like this before. He'd never seen him look so unsure and he'd certainly never heard him stutter like that before.

"I know, Tim. I know what happened to you. I know why you've been acting so strangely since we got here," Gibbs told him.

Tim immediately stiffened and his stomach began to twist in knots. "I…I haven't been acting weird."

"It's alright, Tim. I know," Gibbs said.

Tim felt himself shake. No. He couldn't know. Tim could not deal with that. He couldn't deal with anyone else knowing what happened to him and Sam. No, it had to be something else. Gibbs must found something else out. He had no idea what, but it couldn't be this. It just couldn't be. "Know what?"

Gibbs sighed. He knew what McGee was doing. He was trying to hold out hope that Gibbs didn't really know. He couldn't really blame him for that. Gibbs wouldn't want anyone to know either. "I know what happened to you and Agent Hanna."

Tim shook his head wildly. "No."

"Yeah," Gibbs said simply.

"No! Y…you can't know. How can you know?" Tim asked. How could anyone know what happened to him? He'd never talked about it with anyone, not even his family.

"I knew something was up with you, so I..."

"So you poked around in my past?!" Tim asked angrily. Uneasiness and horror at having his biggest secret revealed had turned to blind, hot rage. Gibbs had absolutely no right to dig into his life.

Gibbs was taken aback by his agent's change in attitude. He'd hardly ever heard the young man lose his temper, and he'd certainly never done so with Gibbs. Callen had warned him this might happened, but McGee had always been too respectful and polite for him to take the warning seriously.

Tim slammed his hand down angrily on the desk. "Dammit! Who the hell do you think you are?! If you wanted to know about my past you should've asked!"

"Would you have told me the truth?" Gibbs asked skeptically.

"We'll never know because you didn't give me the chance!" Tim responded. Honestly, he wouldn't have told his boss, but that was his right. It was his secret to tell or not to tell. This was none of Gibbs' business. He should've stayed out of it. "How did you even find out? None of the few people who know about it would tell you."

"You have a file with NCIS," Gibbs said.

"That file was supposed to be sealed. My father made sure of that," Tim said. His father didn't want any of his esteemed colleagues to know that three of his subordinates were able to kidnap his only son, so as soon as humanly possible, he'd had it sealed.

Gibbs just looked at him and didn't say a word.

"Oh my God. You had my confidential, sealed file opened?"

"I had to. I knew something was wrong. I noticed it the minute I got back here yesterday. When I realized Agent Hanna was involved, I thought for a minute he might have done something to you," Gibbs said.

Tim saw red in that moment. "Don't you ever say that! Sam is the only reason I'm still alive, the only reason I'm still sane!"

Gibbs stuck his hands up in surrender. "Hey, calm down. I get that now. I never imagined something like this could happen to you."

"Right. Because you thought my life was filled with bunny rabbits and fluffy kittens. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but the only things anyone will find in my past are demons and hellfire. You had no right," Tim said again.

"I did what I had to do. Something was wrong with you and I needed to know what," Gibbs said.

"No, you didn't! What happened to me has never affected a case. I have always been professional and you can't deny that. Yeah, I may have been a little weird these last couple of days, but I still gave this case a hundred percent," Tim said.

"You are a part of my team. If something is bothering you…"

"If something is bothering me, it's up to me to deal with it, and I have! I am not Tony or Ziva! I don't need you to fix my problems! I certainly don't need you unburying them for the world to see," Tim said. I saw nothing wrong with the fact that other members of their team went to Gibbs for help with their problems, but he wasn't like that. Tony and Ziva's problems were like a day at the spa compared to the demons that were in his head. He preferred to keep all that to himself.

Just then the door barged open, revealing Kensi and Sam. "Hey, you guys know we can hear you all the way down the hall?" Kensi asked.

"You crossed a line, Gibbs. You had no right," Tim said angrily before walking out of the room.

"What the hell was that about?" Sam demanded to know. Whatever it was, it had caused Tim to become angrier than he'd ever seen him. It had to be big to cause that type of reaction out of him.

Gibbs looked at Sam. "You should go after him. It's you he needs."

Sam didn't even question it. That was all he had to be told before he ran out of the room in search of the kid he considered a brother.


	6. Chapter 6

Tim stormed out the building and headed for the road. He was so angry right now. He needed to get away and clear his head before he really lost it.

Tim heard the door open and close from behind him, followed by footsteps. "Go away, Gibbs!"

"I ain't Gibbs."

Tim immediately stopped dead in his tracks and turned to see Sam. He didn't say anything though. He wasn't sure what to say.

Sam knew the second the kid looked at him that he'd been wrong in his earlier theory that Tim didn't remember him. The look he was giving him now screamed recognition. "You okay?"

There was that question again. The one everyone who knew what happened asked, but didn't really want the truthful answer to. But for the first time, Tim wasn't compelled to give the company line answer. He never had to do that with Sam. Sam would never judge him. "No, I'm not."

Sam simply nodded. "Wanna go for a ride?"

"Sure," Tim said.

Sam led the way to his care and they both got in. Sam then started his car and peeled out of the parking lot.

Things were quiet between the two agents for a few minutes until Tim finally broke the silence. "Why'd you say you didn't know me?" He was sure now that Sam knew who he was the whole time. Why else would be go after him and offer to take him for a ride?

"Because I was hoping you didn't remember. Kids can sometimes block out bad things. If you did that, I considered it a blessing and I wasn't going to be the one that ripped your world apart," Sam explained.

Tim snorted. "It's a nice thought and all, but since when has life been that kind to me? I never forgot, Sam. I never will. I thought maybe you'd forgotten about me though. Or maybe just forgotten my name. That's why I lied too. I didn't want to bring up painful memories for the both of us."

"Well, I guess we're both idiots," Sam said half-jokingly.

Tim laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."

Sam smiled at Tim a little. "It's nice to hear you laugh again." It had been a long time since he'd hear Tim laugh. Not since before that fateful day that changed both of their lives forever. "So long was it after I left? How long before things got better?"

Tim snorted. "It got better? I think somebody forgot to tell me that."

"Okay, bad choice of words, but you know what I mean. How much longer before you started talking again?"

"Two months," Tim answered.

"What made the difference? Did you see somebody?" Sam asked.

Tim gave him an incredulous look. "Are you kidding? My father send me to a shrink? That would've required him to admit that there was a problem in his family that he couldn't fix. No, I had to handle things on my own. My father just kept telling me that I needed to get over it and my mother just kept looking at me as if expecting me to miraculously recover. I was on my own after you were gone."

A guilty look appeared on Sam's face. He hated that he'd had to go. He should've been there to help Tim through it.

Tim noticed the look immediately. "Don't, Sam. I never blamed you. I know you didn't have a choice." He knew that his father had sent Sam away. It was something that he'd never forgiven the man for and resented to this day.

"You know I would've stayed if I could've. But he didn't just have the right as my CO. He had the right as your father too," Sam said. If it had just been his career, he would've stayed, but it wouldn't have made a difference. Even if he'd sacrificed his career, he'd still have been made to leave.

"I know."

"So what pissed you off so bad today? I've never seen you so angry," Sam said.

Tim growled just thinking about it. "Freaking Gibbs! You know, sometimes he reminds me of my father."

"Then I hate him already," Sam retorted.

"Well, no, he's not that bad. He just has a few qualities that remind me of the Admiral," Tim said.

"Admiral? Admiral my ass," Sam said. There was nothing admiral about that son of a bitch. He was a lousy commanding officer and an even lousier father. "So what quality did Gibbs show you today that reminded you of your old man?"

"The inability to stay out of everyone's business!" Tim said angrily. That was just like his father. The Admiral always took it upon himself to uncover everyone's secrets too. And while on some level Tim did know that Gibbs had been trying to help, it was none of his business. He didn't have the right to invade his privacy like that.

"What did he do," Sam asked. He already had a good idea, but he Gibbs' sake that he was wrong.

Tim sighed. "My father had our case sealed just after the investigation closed. It was probably the one decent thing he's ever done for me." Tim knew the act wasn't exactly for him. It was so his father could protect his reputation. Still, Tim appreciated it nonetheless. It allowed him to go through everyday life without everyone around him knowing and looking at him like he would break. "But did that matter to Gibbs? No, of course not. He still felt the need to go poking around in it."

Sam felt himself start to seethe. That really pissed him off. Gibbs hadn't just poked around in Tim's life, though that was more than enough to piss him off. He'd poked into Sam's as well and that something he appreciated.

"You know, I have worked hard to make a life for myself despite what happened to us. I know that I can't ever get away from it. I've learned to accept it. But I think that I should at least be able to decide who knows about it and who doesn't!" Tim practically yelled.

"You're right, you should," Sam agreed.

"I swore that no one else would ever find out. That I would never even speak of it with anyone but you," Tim continued.

Sam definitely understood that. He'd even said as much to G. The difference was that G had respected that, Gibbs obviously hadn't. "Everything you're saying is right, man. He had no right to go prying into what happened to us."

"He was actually surprised that I was angry. Although, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I've never gotten angry with him like that before. I've never spoken to him like that before. I just got so angry. I'm still angry. All I've ever wanted was to deal with this in a way that didn't affect my professional life. And until today, it worked," Tim said.

"It can still work. You can't change what Gibbs did, but no one else has to know. We can make sure of that." _'I will make sure of that,' _Sam added to himself. He was going to have a few words with Gibbs and then he was going to make sure the nosey bastard kept his mouth shut.

Tim nodded. Then his eyes widened as something finally occurred to him. In order for Gibbs to get the information about him and Sam, he would've had to go through the NCIS database and he couldn't do that unless he was on a computer, something Gibbs wasn't capable of. "Somebody else already knows!"

"What?" Sam asked in confusion. What had brought his friend to that conclusion?

"Gibbs is technologically inept. He can barely turn a computer on. He had to have someone else access our file!" Tim said, his voice filled with anger and horror.

"Alright, we're going back so I can kick some ass," Sam said as he turned the car around and headed back to NCIS.


	7. Chapter 7

Callen walked out of Ops. and found Gibbs leaned against the wall with a cup of coffee in his hands. "So Kensi told me you and your man had an altercation." Actually, the phrase Kensi had used was 'shouting match', but this sounded better.

"Don't, Callen," Gibbs said as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Don't what? Don't say I told you so? Well, I did, didn't I? I told you that you were playing with fire," Callen said. He didn't even know what the secret that bound their two agents was, but he knew it was bad and he knew it was private. There was no way digging into it could end in anything but an explosion.

"Dammit, Callen, he's my agent! I was trying to help him!" Gibbs said exasperatedly.

"I get that. I know you were just worried about your agent. I'm worried about Sam too. But I had to accept that he didn't want me to know," Callen said.

"Well, that's the difference between you and me, Callen. When someone I care about is hurt or in trouble, I do what I have to do to help them whether they want it or not," Gibbs said.

"And was it everything you hoped it would be? Did you help him? Because it seems to me that you just made it worse," Callen said. He didn't know exactly how it went, but if McGee screaming in fury and then storming out was any indication, Gibbs plan couldn't have been a success.

Gibbs sighed. "He's never spoken to me like that before. He's never spoken to anyone like that. I don't think I've even ever heard him raise his voice that high before. He was really angry. "

"Wouldn't you be? People keep secrets for a reason, Gibbs. You of all people should know that. How would you feel if someone tried to 'help' you?" Callen asked.

Gibbs looked away. Callen had a point there. He hadn't exactly been up front with his team about his secrets. They didn't know for years that he once had a family. And it was true that he wouldn't have been happy if they found out the way he found out about McGee's. "I thought he would let me help him. My other agents would've."

"Not everyone's the same, Gibbs. Not everyone wants or needs help from someone else. Some people just prefer to deal with their crap on their own," Callen said.

"I guess McGee's more like me than I thought," Gibbs said. He never considered Tim like him before. Tony and Ziva, yes, but not Tim. That was until now. Now, Tim reminded him more of himself than any of the others who had ever worked for him. They'd both been through more pain than they knew what to do with. They'd both seen and experienced unspeakable tragedy. And they both preferred to keep their suffering to themselves. Gibbs only wished he had seen that before he went digging. Tim and Callen were both right. He'd crossed a line. He just hoped it wasn't too late to fix it.

As if on cue, Tim and Sam came barreling in at that moment. Tim looked even more angry than when he left as he strode over to Gibbs. "Who'd you tell?"

"What are you talking about? I didn't tell anyone?" Gibbs said.

"No? So you're saying you used a computer to get ahold of my file all on your own?" Tim asked skeptically. He knew that was crap. Gibbs needed help accessing his email on most days.

Gibbs shifted uncomfortably. "I asked Abby for help and she asked Tony to help her get the file open."

"Abby and Tony?! Out of everyone at NCIS, you tell the biggest loud mouths?!" Tim practically shrieked. Out of everyone at NCIS, those were the last two he wanted to know his secret. He actually would've preferred it have been Ziva. She would've kept her mouth shut and she wouldn't have treated him differently. She would've understood.

"They're not going to say anything," Gibbs assured him.

"Why? Because you say so? When has that ever stopped Abby? Tony might keep his mouth shut around others out of fear of you, but Abby won't," Tim said. Not that Abby would tell on purpose. She was just the type that couldn't keep her mouth shut no matter how hard she tried. "And don't even get me started with the material this gives Tony to make my life hell."

"He won't do that. I won't let him," Gibbs said firmly. He'd already warned Tony and he meant it. This would never, ever be used to hurt Tim. If he even tried, which Gibbs knew he wouldn't, Tony would be gone faster than he could say 'unemployed'.

"Well, that's real big of you considering this is all your fault," Sam spoke for the first time before turning to Callen. "He tell you?"

"No, I and I didn't ask. If you want me to know, you'll tell me," Callen said.

"Well, it's nice to know someone understands the concept of personal boundaries," Tim said bitterly.

"McGee, I'm sorry," Gibbs said.

Tim raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh, I actually get an apology. That's gotta be a first."

"You were right. I crossed a line. I just wanted to help," Gibbs said.

"Help? You think ripping open wounds I worked my ass off to close helps? You didn't help me today. You made it worse, if that's even possible. Now I won't even be able to look at the people I work with without wondering if they're thinking about what happened to me. Without wondering if they see me differently. Thanks a lot for that," Tim said sarcastically before going into the Operations Center to get back to work.

"Go on in, G," Sam said as he glared at Gibbs.

"Remember that murder is a crime," Callen said before walking into Ops.

Sam took several steps forward until his face was inches away from Gibbs. "You know what happened to the last people to hurt that kid? Two of them are dead and the third is in a maximum security prison."

"You're gonna compare me to them?" Gibbs asked glaringly. He realized he was dead wrong for what he did, but he didn't feel he deserved to be compared to those monsters.

"I'm stating a fact. Nobody hurts Tim McGee and gets away with it. I promised that kid a long time ago that I wouldn't let anyone hurt him. Now I had to break that promise when his jackass father sent me away, but I'm back now and I'm going to do what I promised to do," Sam said firmly.

"I was just trying to help," Gibbs said.

"You can't. You think this is something you can just get past with a little talk? Because if you do, you're crazy. You didn't help him by doing this, you made it worse! You made it so he won't even feel comfortable in his place of business. You outed him to the people he cares about and made certain that he'd never feel comfortable around them again. Thanks to you, he's got to deal with the whole thing all over again," Sam said angrily.

"What do you want me to say?" Gibbs asked. There was really nothing else he could do. He couldn't take back what he did. He would if he could.

"It aint me you gotta say anything to. Yeah, you poked your nose into my personal business and that pisses me off, but he's the one you messed with. He's the one you gotta make it up to. And you'd better or you'll answer to me," Sam said before walking away.


	8. Chapter 8

Tim was in the Ops. Center packing up his gear. The case was over and it was time for him and Gibbs to go back to DC. Needless to say, he was less than thrilled by that fact. Not only did he have to share a plane ride with Gibbs, but when he got back, he'd have to deal with Tony and Abby as well.

"Hey."

Tim turned and saw that Sam had joined him. "Hi."

"You getting ready to head out?" Sam asked.

"I don't really have a choice," Tim said.

"You could take a leave of absence and stick around here for a while. You're always welcome at my place," Sam said. He would have to figure out something to say to his wife without telling her the truth, but he would figure it out.

"It's tempting, but I have to go back some time. It's better to just get it over with," Tim said. He couldn't put this off. If he did, he would never go back, and as much as he hated that his secrets were out for over half his team to see, he wouldn't run from it.

Sam took a card out of his pocket. "This is my cellphone number. Call me anytime you wanna talk." Now that Tim was back in his life, he had no intention of losing touch with him again. The kid was as much his brother as if they shared the same blood.

Tim gladly took the card. "Thanks, Sam. Here's mine. Same thing applies," he said before taking his own card out and handing it to his friend. The two then shook hands and shared a halfway hug.

"You ready to go, McGee?" Gibbs asked as he approached.

Tim glared at the man for a minute and then walked passed him and out of Ops.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Tim and Gibbs got in late that same night. When they did, Tim went straight to Tony's. He was not going to wait until morning to find out what Tony would do with the ammunition he now held. He could wait on Abby. The only thing he had to fear from her was that she would blab, and if she was, she probably already did it by now.

Tim arrived at Tony's apartment and banged on the door. He knocked over and over again without relief.

"Okay, okay! Geez," Tony said before opening the door. "McGee? It's eleven o'clock. What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in? I'd rather not have this conversation in the middle of the hallway," Tim said tightly.

Tony stood aside to let McGee in. Once he was inside, Tony closed the door.

Tim whirled around on Tony. "So give it to me straight, Tony. You gonna rip my life open?"

"What?" Tony asked in confusion.

"Don't play dumb with me. I know you went poking into my past," Tim said.

Tony looked away uncomfortably. In his tired haze, he'd forgotten for a minute about what he'd learned the day before about McGee.

"Right. As I was saying, I need to know what you're planning to do," Tim said.

"Do?" Tony asked in confusion. He didn't understand what his friend meant. He wasn't planning to do anything.

"Yeah. Should I expect to find that half of NCIS knows about it soon enough or will you just use it to make me the brunt of your jokes?" Tim asked. He would not allow either of those things to happen. If either of them did, he'd leave NCIS.

"You actually think I'd do that?" Tony asked sounding hurt.

"Oh, no, of course not. You're not the type to say tell people I'm gay or laugh at me when I'm hurt. Oh, wait," Tim said sarcastically.

"That's different. I'm not going to make fun of somebody for being kidnapped and tortured," Tony said. He knew he could be an obnoxious jerk sometimes, but even he was above something like that. He wasn't amused by what happened to McGee. If he felt anything at all about it, it was pity.

Tim flinched a little at hearing those words. Just hearing the words brought back memories he'd worked hard to forget. Well not forget, as he could never forget, but push aside. "Damn you, Tony. Why couldn't you for once mind your own business?"

"Gibbs wanted…"

"Don't! Don't give me that 'Gibbs made me do' crap because I'm not buying it. You didn't get involved because Gibbs told you to. You did it because you were hoping to find something to make my life hell. Well congratulations. It worked," Tim said angrily.

McGee's attitude was throwing Tony for a loop. He'd never seen the man so angry before. He'd heard him yell a couple of times, usually at him, in frustration, but he'd never seen this deep seeded anger that McGee was showing him now. It made Tony feel a bit defensive. "We shouldn't have needed to pry. Why didn't you just tell us?"

"Because it's none of your damn business!" Tim practically screamed. "This is my life! You are not entitled to know everything about my life."

"You know everything about me," Tony protested. Okay, so he didn't know everything, but he did know most of the big stuff.

"Because either you choose to share it or it rears its ugly head. I did not choose to tell you this. I didn't want you to know. I'm not like you, Tony. I don't need my team to help me deal with my demons. I've dealt with them just fine on my own. And honestly, you couldn't handle my demons. Just hearing about them would give you nightmares," Tim said.

Tony glared at him. "You saying I need help dealing with my life?"

"I'm saying that it helps you talk Gibbs or someone else when you're having issues. And if that's what works for you, fine, but I'm not like that. I don't need to talk to people who cannot possibly understand what my life is like. You think you know what happened to me? You haven't got a clue. Not a flicker. If you did, it would send you to a corner curled up in a ball," Tim said.

Tony looked away. He wasn't sure what to say to that. Honestly, it made him feel very uncomfortable. "I…I won't tell anybody and I won't bring it up to you either.

"Good," Tim said before turning around and walking out the door.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Tim made it home about twenty minutes later. He took off his coat and immediately started towards his bedroom. Before he could make it there though, he heard his home phone begin to ring. He immediately went over to his desk and picked it up. "Hello."

There was no answer.

"Hello?" He waited a few seconds and still there was no answer, so he hung up. He chalked it up to a wrong number and headed to his bedroom to get ready for bed.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, Tim went down to the lab the second he got in. He didn't really want to see Abby after what she, Tony, and Gibbs had done, but he wanted to make sure she kept her mouth shut about what she learned.

Once Tim entered the lab, he shut off the blaring music, causing Abby to turn to him.

"Timmy, you're back!" Abby squealed before rushing over to hug him. She stopped herself at the last minute though. After what she recently learned, she realized that Tim might not like it if she just hurled herself at him. He'd been through a very traumatic experience in the past. He'd never said anything, but he might not like being touched. "Is it okay if I hug you?"

"Since when do you ask?" Tim asked. For as long as he knew her, Abby had never asked if it was okay for her to hug people. Well, once during a case right after they had a workshop about harassment, but she wasn't really asking seriously. She was only asking him now because of what she now knew about him and he hated that. It was one of the reasons he didn't want anyone to know. He knew they would treat him like he was about to break at any minute.

"I just thought…"

"Thought that what? That I'd break if you touched me. You've touched me in some way almost every day for the last six years. I didn't break then, did I?" Tim asked irritably.

Abby was taken slightly aback by her friend's tone. He seemed angry. She'd never seen him angry, at least not at her. He was always so kind and patient with her. "McGee, are you angry with me?"

Tim folded his arms across his chest and put a falsely puzzled look on his face. "Now why would I be angry? I mean you only poked into my private life behind my back, which was against NCIS policy by the way, and shared it with other people. How could that possibly make me angry?"

"Gibbs asked me to. What was I supposed to do?" Abby asked defensively.

"Say no!" Tim practically screamed. "Contrary to popular belief, Gibbs is not God! He doesn't have the right to know everything about all our lives. If I had wanted him to know, I would've told him myself!"

"He was worried about you. He saw that something was wrong with you and he just wanted to help," Abby said.

"And you think this helped? The think having the people I considered friends going behind my back and digging into a very painful part of my life helps at all? Because if you do, you've seriously lost it," Tim said angrily.

"I…I didn't think about…"

"Yeah, clearly," Tim interrupted mid-sentence. "I just need to know one thing. I need to know that you're going to keep this a secret. I don't want anyone knowing who doesn't already. Not Ziva, not Ducky, no one."

"Of course I won't say anything. I already promised Gibbs I wouldn't," Abby said.

"Well, I want to hear that promise for myself," Tim said.

"I won't. I swear, I won't tell anyone," Abby promised.

"Good. Because I will never forgive you if you do," Tim said before walking away.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

After his confrontation with Abby, Tim went up to the bullpen to start working. Tony and Ziva were already there when he got there.

"Hey, Probie," Tony said awkwardly.

Tim grunted in response and sat down at his desk.

Ziva glanced between the two men and frowned. Something wasn't right. You could snip the tension between them with a knife. "Is everything alright, McGee?"

"It's fine, Ziva," Tim said as polite as possible. He was quite angry, but it wasn't Ziva's fault and he didn't want to take it out on her, so he tried to stay polite when he spoke to her.

"Are you sure?" Ziva asked skeptically. She got the feeling that things weren't so fine. McGee seemed very angry, despite his trying to mask it when he spoke to her.

"Yeah, I'm positive," Tim said.

Just then, Gibbs came in. He immediately headed for Tim's desk. "McGee, you might want to get in touch with your friend, Sam."

"Why?" Tim asked with a bit of concern in his voice. If Gibbs was telling him to call Sam, there was something wrong, especially since they'd just left him less than twenty-four hours ago.

"I just got word that Callen was involved in a drive by shooting just after we left. They were partners, so he's probably not taking it very well," Gibbs said.

Tim immediately got up and walked away. He walked down the hall and into the conference room before closing the door behind him. He then took out his phone and the card Sam gave him before dialing the number on it. He put the phone up to his ear and then waited.

"_Yeah,"_ Sam answered on the second ring. He sounded absolutely exhausted. It was clear to Tim that he hadn't slept well the night before.

"Hey, Sam, it's Tim," he said.

"_Is everything okay? Did you get in alright?"_ Sam asked sounding concerned.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I'm calling for you. I heard about your partner. Is he okay? Tim asked.

"_I don't know. These jackasses won't tell me anything and they won't let me see him. Something about not being family. Mace is trying her hand at getting them talking, but I don't think it's working," _Sam said.

"What about finding his family?" Tim asked. That seemed to be the most logical answer at this point.

"_He hasn't got any. Look, it's a complicated story and not one I can get into without G's permission," _Sam said.

"No, of course not," Tim said. He knew all too well what it was like to have your past exposed. It was all still very fresh in his mind.

"_Oh, I gotta go. It looks like Macy might have gotten through after all," _Sam said.

"Alright, let me know if you need anything," Tim said.

"_I will. Thanks, man," _Sam said before hanging up.

Tim shut his phone and immediately went back out to his desk.

"How's your friend?" Tony asked.

"He's hanging in there," Tim said.

Vance suddenly appeared at the stairs. "Agent McGee!"

Tim immediately turned to him.

"I word if you please, Vance said before walking away without even waiting for Tim to follow.

Tim immediately got up and walked upstairs to Vance's office. He immediately closed the door behind him. "Is everything alright, Director? I just got a call from an Agent Brady in California. Do you know who that is?"

Tim frowned. "The name sounds vaguely familiar.

"What about a Jason Taylor?" Vance asked. He of course knew McGee did know him. He'd just received the full story from Brady and it wasn't pretty. That wasn't something anyone could forget easily.

Tim stiffened considerably. That wasn't vaguely familiar. It was very familiar. He could've gone the rest of his life without hearing that name again. "I know who he is. Is he dead?"

Vance was a bit taken aback by the question. McGee seemed to almost hope the answer was yes. That didn't ring right to him because McGee was one of the nicest people he'd ever come across. Although, after the phone conversation he just had, he shouldn't be surprised. Taylor and his friends had done a number on McGee. "No, he's not dead. He's escaped."


	10. Chapter 10

Tim went rigid and began to shake when he heard that his childhood tormentor had escaped. That man had nearly destroyed him. He wasn't the only one, but he was the only one left alive and he was the most vicious. Just thinking about what he man had done to him sent shivers down his spine.

_Flashback_

_Tim was literally trembling as he laid in Sam's arms. They were locked in a cold, dark room. They had been there for what seemed like forever. Tim didn't know how long it had actually been since there was no light in the room, but he did know he was terrified._

_Soon the door opened, revealing a bright light. Tim began to shake harder and became faintly aware of Sam tightening his grip on him. _

_Three men entered the room. Tim recognized all of them as both the men that kidnapped him and Sam, and as the men who worked under his father. He only recalled one of their names though. The one that approached him. He was Seaman Jason Taylor._

_The other two men grabbed ahold of Sam while Jason pulled Tim towards the door by the ankle. _

"_Hey, let him go!" Sam yelled before the two men starting hitting him. _

_Tim tried to pull away from the man dragging him. "No, please!"_

_Jason bent down and slapped Tim across the face, knocking the wind out of him._

_Tim didn't fight anymore as he was pulled out of the room. He was dragged down the hall and into another room with very little light in it and nothing more than a pair of pair of shackles dangling from the ceiling. _

_One of the other men came in at that moment and pulled him up off the ground while Jason wrapped the shackles around his wrists. _

_Suspended in midair, Tim began to kick his feet only to be slapped once more._

_Jason the pulled his head back by the hair. "Well, well, hello, Young McGee. How are you today?"_

_Tim didn't say anything. He just looked at the man with nothing but fear._

_Jason laughed. "Well, look at you. Are you scared, kid?"_

_Tim still didn't speak. He was too scared to. _

_Jason slapped him a third time. "I asked you a question, boy."_

_Tim began to cry. "Y…yes."_

_Jason laughed again sadistically. "Well, you don't know what fear is. But you're about to experience it. Pain too," he said before motioning to the other man._

_Tim watched as the man took out a large, bulky gun. It wasn't an ordinary gun. Tim might be young, but he'd been around military personnel his whole life. He'd seen enough of those things. It was a Taser. _

_The other man came forward and shoved the gun in the crook of his neck and pulled the trigger. _

_Tim convulsed violently and screamed louder than he ever had in his entire life. _

_Flashback_

"Agent McGee. Agent McGee, are you alright?" Vance asked, pulling Tim out of his horrific memories.

Tim turned to the man. "Huh."

"Are you okay?" Vance asked with concern.

"I… When did this happen?" Tim asked. He was far from okay and he didn't want to express how far from okay he was, so he decided to change the subject and get some answers.

"About a week ago. Agent Brady's been looking for you ever since. I guess it took him a while," Vance said.

"I remember him now. He was the agent in charge of my case," Tim said. He did remember him. The man had been very nice to him. He didn't push him to speak like a lot of others did. Not that his kindness did any good. It didn't make him feel any safer. Only one person made him feel safe and his father had sent him away mere months after they were rescued.

"Yeah. He's worried about you. He thinks that Taylor will come after you. Have you noticed anything to make you think he's been around?" Vance asked.

Tim was about to say no, but then he remembered the call he got last night. "I received a hang up last night. I thought it was just a wrong number or a prank at the time, but now…"

"No, I agree. It's almost definitely Taylor. He's obviously decided to take revenge on you," Vance said.

"Does Sam know about this? What am I saying? Of course he doesn't," Tim added mostly to himself. If Sam had known, he would've said something when they spoke.

"Not yet. I wanted to speak to you first. I figure he'll be more interested in you, as you were his target in the first place. Brady said that the then Petty Officer Hanna was just collateral damage," Vance said.

Tim looked at the floor guiltily. He always hated that Sam had to suffer because of him. He knew Sam didn't blame him, but he blamed himself. "Yeah, it's true. Sam tried to save me. That's how he got caught in the middle."

"This was about your father, right?" Vance asked.

Tim nodded. "My father was a bastard, even to the people who worked under him. Taylor and his buddies Jake Riley and Adam Wilson decided to take revenge on him by using me." He hadn't known the names of the other two men before, but he'd learned them after they were arrested.

"What exactly happened when you were with them. I mean, Brady explained the best he could, but he seemed to think that Agent Hanna was holding back when he explained," Vance said.

Tim finally met the director's eyes. They held a firm look. "Sam explained all that needed to be explained for Taylor to be convicted. Anything else is between Taylor, Sam, and me!"

Vance had to admit he was taken aback. He'd never heard that tone in McGee's voice before. He never spoke to anyone without complete respect and he never refused to answer a question from a higher up. What ever happened to him had to have really messed him up. "It could help us find him."

"It won't. Anything that you don't know, it's because it's personal. It's something that I will never discuss with anyone but Sam. It's as simple as that," Tim said firmly.

Vance decided to back off. He knew from the young agent's tone of voice that he wasn't going to get any further than that. "Alright, well, we need to talk about protection."

"Later. I need to go to California. I need to see Sam," Tim said. This wasn't something he was going to discuss on the phone. That wouldn't be fair, especially with everything that Sam was dealing with right now.

"Not alone. You'll take Gibbs with you," Vance said.

"No, not Gibbs," Tim said. He didn't want to be anywhere near Gibbs right now, not after what he did.

"Well, you can't go alone. You'll be an easy target. I won't allow it," Vance said with authority.

Tim thought for a minute. "I'll take Ziva." He knew that he would probably end up having to explain the situation to her if he took her, but he figured he'd have to eventually anyway now that Taylor was on the loose. And right now, Ziva was the only one he could stand to be around.

"Alright, if that's what you want. Agent David can go with you if she agrees. Once you've filled Agent Hanna in, I want a conference call from you on screen from the Operations Center up there so we can figure out how to proceed," Vance said.

"Yes sir," Tim said.

"Dismissed."

Tim nodded and quickly left the room.


	11. Chapter 11

Tim made it back downstairs to the bullpen and found his team all sitting at their desks. They all looked up at him curiously, more than likely wondering what Vance had wanted to see him about.

"What's going on, McGee?" Gibbs asked.

Tim didn't answer. He walked right passed him and over to Ziva's desk. "Ziva, I need a favor from you."

"Of course, McGee. What is it?" Ziva asked.

"I need you to come to California with me," Tim said.

"California? Didn't you just leave there/" Ziva asked in confusion.

"What the hell's going on, McGee," Gibbs asked, more demanding this time

It was at that moment that they all heard someone clear their throat. They turned to see that Vance had joined them. "Agent McGee will be returning to LA briefly to aid a friend during a crisis. I've asked him to take someone along and he's decided on Officer David. If that's alright with you, Officer David.

Tim gave him an appreciative look. It seemed the director knew he did not want to explain why he was really going to LA and decided to give him an out.

"This is about Callen getting shot?" Gibbs asked skeptically. He had a hard time believing it. For one, Vance had called McGee into his office without knowing about his connection to Agent Hanna, so it had to have been about something else. And two, while Vance might let McGee go to help his friend, he wouldn't send a second agent

"It is fine with me. I will gladly help," Ziva said. She had the feeling something else was going on, but it didn't matter. If McGee needed her help, she would gladly give it to him.

Tim smiled at her. "Thanks, Ziva.'

"Of course. Do you know how long we will be?" Ziva asked.

"I have no idea," Tim said honestly. He hadn't a clue how Sam was going to react to this or what he would want to do All he did know was that he was leaving Sam until Taylor was found. They were both targets for this maniac. They shouldn't split up while he was on the loose.

"Okay, well, I should go pack then. If that is alright, Director," Ziva said.

Vance nodded. "You should both go pack. Then go straight to the airport. I've arranged for you to take a private plane." He was taking every precaution necessary to ensure the safety of his agents. He was even sending the new operations Manager for OSP early to ensure Agent Hanna's safety. Macy was good and all, but Hetty was lethal. She would make sure they were all safe while up there.

"Why?" Gibbs asked suspiciously. It was another thing that didn't make sense to him. Why couldn't they take a commercial flight? Why would Vance make any arrangements for a personal trip at all?

"Yeah, that is so not fair. How long have I been saying we need a jet? Why do they get one?" Tony whined.

Vance glared at him. "Because I said so, DiNozzo. McGee, walk with me."

Tim immediately followed him towards the elevator. "Thank you, Director, for the save back there."

Vance nodded. "You're going to have to tell them the real reason for this trip eventually, but I figured the middle of the bullpen wasn't the best place."

"No, it wasn't," he said. That was all he needed. The entire floor to know what happened to him.

"Agent Baron is waiting for you downstairs. He'll be with you until you get to the airport," Vance told him as they reached the elevator and he pushed the button.

Tim didn't argue. He knew it would be futile. Vance wasn't going to let up here, and for good reason. Taylor was extremely dangerous. "Okay."

"Go on," Vance said.

Tim nodded and stepped inside the elevator.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

A couple of hours later, Tim and Ziva were on the plane and in the air. It had taken off about twenty minutes earlier.

Needless to say, Tim was pretty on edge. He had a psychopath after him and he had to tell his friend, who was dealing with the fact that his partner just got shot, that the past had just come back to bite them both.

"McGee, are you alright?" Ziva asked.

"Fine," Tim lied.

"You do not look alright. You have not looked alright since you came in this morning. Now you look worse," Ziva said.

Tim didn't say anything. There wasn't really anything he could say. He couldn't say she was wrong.

"McGee, why are we really on this trip? I doubt that Vance would go to all this trouble just so that you could help a friend," Ziva said.

"I'm going to see Sam. That's true," Tim told her.

"But the reason is not? You know what, never mind. You do not need to tell me," Ziva said. It was really none of her business why McGee needed to see his friend. It was between them.

"Yes, I do. You have the right to know why you're here. Just bear with me, okay? This is hard for me. You'll be the first person I actually told," Tim said. She wouldn't be the first to find out of course, but she would be the first to find out from him.

Ziva felt her stomach tie up in knots. She did not know what was going on, but she got the feeling it was really bad.

"I was ten when it happened. I lived on a military base in San Diego. That's where I met Sam two years earlier. He was a Petty Officer under my dad's command. I guess you could say he took me under his wing. He helped me when the other kids would pick on me and he just talked to me. Really talked to me instead of talking at me," Tim said. Talking at him was what his father and most of the other sailors did. Sam was a refreshing change of pace.

"It seemed like life was getting better for me. I had a real friend, a brother to look out for me. And he did. He protected me. Until he couldn't anymore. Until the unthinkable happened?" he said.

"What happened?" Ziva asked, afraid of the answer.

Tim sighed. "My father was a complete ass to everyone, including the men who worked under him. He singled out these three guys though. I don't know what he had against them, but there was obviously something. Anyway, they decided to get even. What better way than to use his son?"

Ziva sucked in a breath. Her bad feeling had just gotten a hundred times worse.

"They lured me off base. Said they had something cool to show me that would make all the other kids like me. I was ten and I was pretty much an outcast. Of course I jumped at the chance. I didn't see anything wrong with it. But Sam did. He saw me leaving Base with them and he followed us. He caught up with us just as they grabbed me and started putting me into their truck. I don't remember exactly what happened, as it was so quick, but the end result was that we were both taken hostage," Tim explained. His voice and his hands were very shaky by this point.

"How long?" Ziva asked in quiet, somber voice. She couldn't believe that had happened to him. She'd always assumed McGee had a good life. He always seemed so happy and well-adjusted. Apparently it was an act. It had to be. You couldn't come away from that unscathed.

"It was about a month. It felt like much longer though," Tim said. It had felt like forever. It felt like he had been trapped in that hell for years. If not for Sam, he probably would've gone insane.

"What… What did they do?" Ziva asked. This time her voice was shaky because she was terrified of the answer. She knew that whatever happened had to be terrible. Good things didn't generally happen with abductions.

Tim finally looked at her and spoke with a surprisingly firm voice. "No. Don't ask me that question. I won't go there, not with you, not with Gibbs, not with anybody who isn't Sam!"

"Alright, it's okay. I do not think I really want to know anyway," Ziva said.

"Trust me, you don't," Tim said quietly.

"So what does this all have to do with our trip today?" Ziva asked.

"Two of the men that kidnapped us are dead. One lived and he was sentenced to life in a maximum security prison. He escaped a week ago and it's very likely that he is after me and Sam," Tim told her.

"He will not touch you, McGee!" Ziva said in a highly dangerous tone of voice.

Tim smiled at her. "Thanks. Anyway, that's why we're going. So that I can fill Sam in on what's going on and we can decide how to handle it. You're here because Vance didn't want me to go alone."

"I will protect you with my life, McGee. That man will not get anywhere near you!" Ziva promised vehemently.

"Thank you."


	12. Chapter 12

Tim and Ziva made their way into the hospital where Callen was being treated. Tim figured his friend would still be there with his partner. He would probably be there until they kicked him out.

Tim walked down the hall towards the ER waiting room and saw Agent Blye there. He immediately walked towards her. "Agent Blye?"

Kensi turned to him. "Oh, hi. I thought you guys left."

"We did, but circumstances brought me back. I need to talk to Sam. Where is he?" Tim asked.

"Uh, now might not be a good time. We've been here all night and running on no sleep. Needless to say, Sam's more than a bit cranky. He's in with Callen now and has threatened anyone who tries to take him out of there with bodily harm," Kensi said.

"Please, just tell him Tim's here. He'll talk to me," Tim said. He wished he could wait for a better time, but the danger was simply too high. The timing was horrible, but they had to deal with this now.

"Alright, it's your funeral," Kensi said before walking away.

Ziva touched Tim on the arm causing him to turn to her. "Do you want me to stay while you tell him?"

"No. This is something I have to do alone. It was him and me back then and that's how it has to be now. I have to do this one on one," Tim said.

"Alright. I will go sit down on the other side of the room. Let me know if you need me," Ziva said before walking away.

Soon Kensi came back out with Sam trailing behind her. He immediately passed her and headed over to Tim. "Hey, man. What are you doing here? You didn't have to come all the way back here because my partner got shot."

"That's not why I'm here. I know the timing sucks, but there's something we need to deal with," Tim said.

Sam didn't like the sound of that or the look in his friend's eyes. They were filled with pain and worry. Something big had happened since they'd last spoke. "Let's sit down."

Tim followed Sam over to a deserted corner of the waiting room and they both sat down.

"So what's going on? What happened?" Sam asked.

Tim sighed. "Okay, I'm just going to come out and say it. Taylor escaped from prison."

"Please tell me you're talking about some other Taylor," Sam said. He doubted it though. It would be way too much of a coincidence if it was and it wouldn't affect Tim this way?

Tim raised an eyebrow. "What other Taylor is there?"

"Damn it! How the hell did that bastard manage to get away?" Sam asked. Taylor was supposed to be in a maximum security prison. It couldn't be that maximum if they were letting people escape.

"I don't know. I didn't ask. I mean, does it really matter. What matters is that he's out there and he's almost definitely gunning for us. He called me last night," Tim said.

"What?!" Sam nearly yelled in shock and anger. The very thought of that sick bastard contacting Tim sent every protective instinct he had into high alert.

"Well, we think it was him anyway. I got a hang up last night. I thought it was a prank or a hang up at first, but I don't believe in coincidences. With news of Taylor's escape…"

"No, I agree. It was him. He's coming after us," Sam said. Okay, so they didn't know for sure that Taylor was after Sam, but it was pretty likely. Besides, it didn't really matter if the bastard was physically after him or not. He was after Tim and that meant he was after Sam. He considered any attack on Tim an attack on him as well. "I should've killed the son of a bitch along with his buddies."

"As I recall, you nearly did," Tim said. He remembered that night quite clearly. They had managed to get loose and Sam got a hold of a gun. During their attempt to escape, Sam shot all three of them. Taylor was the only one who managed to survive his injuries.

"I blame the broken arm. If I had been able to shoot with the right arm, that son of a bitch would be dead along with his other sadistic buddies," Sam said. He felt no guilt for killing those men or wishing to do the same to Taylor. Those bastards had tortured a young boy while he screamed in agony. They laughed at his pain. As far as Sam was concerned, they weren't human.

"So what now? We have to find some way to fight him? How do we do it? How do we stop him from destroying us," Tim asked. He knew he sounded like a worried little kid right now instead of federal agent, but he couldn't help it. That was what Taylor did to him.

"God, this couldn't have come at a worse time," Sam groaned as he rubbed his eyes and cursed the universe. This would be bad no matter when it happened, but right after his partner got shot was the absolute worst. They were still looking for the person who shot Callen. Now he had to deal with another psycho who wanted to hurt someone he cared about and probably himself.

"I know. I'm sorry," Tim said.

"Don't even go there. It's not your fault. Okay, look, for now I think we should wait it out. I think it's the only thing we can do. But we'll be prepared. We stick together and we watch our backs," Sam said.

Tim nodded. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea. I was already banking on the sticking together part. I know you can't leave Callen right now, so I'm going to stick around here," Tim said.

"Good. You need protection detail though," Sam said seriously. Taylor had already contacted Tim once. The next time could be up close and personal.

"I already have it. See the woman in the back?" Tim asked as he nodded in Ziva's direction.

Sam turned to see the woman Tim was referring to. "Yeah. She's got a dangerous vibe to her.

"Oh, she is dangerous. And she's my protection," Tim said.

"Well, if she's as good as she looks, I approve. I still want you close by though," Sam said.

"I will be. Oh, and Vance wants a conference with him from your office," Tim told him.

"Alright, let me check on G and then we'll go," Sam said before getting up and walked back towards his partner's room.


End file.
